I am incredibly grateful for the experience to be a part of the Shambhala Institute and want those who made this possible to know that it was greatly appreciated. Their investment in this opportunity will be shared with countless others as we now move forward with a deepened sense of purpose and support in our work.

Sarah Butzine, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Young Leaders Scholarship Recipient 2007

Educating the Human Heart

The outlook that most of us have in this modern-day world can best be described as challenging and full of uncertainties. The Shambhala Institute Summer Program presents a unique opportunity for leaders from all walks of life to come together and share positive experiences, and to challenge that negative perception by harnessing the positive energies of our global community. For me, it was truly a life-changing experience, one that breaks the ideologies of "yesterday's thinkers" and creates a venue for new and creative leadership that will help organizations move towards the 21st Century with courage, self-awareness and passion.

The importance of donating to the Shambhala Institute Scholarship Fund cannot be overstated. Scholarships provide young and emerging leaders with the ability to engage with current leaders, and this often leads to a breakthroughs in developing a common understanding of the world we live in and the challenges we face.

So often we dismiss the younger generation as inexperienced, but as the summer program has demonstrated, they contribute fresh ideas in an increasingly negative world. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently stated, "Something is fundamentally lacking in our modern education when it comes to educating the human heart." I urge you to contribute to the Shambhala Institute's scholarship fund, as a means of providing the younger generation with an opportunity for their ideas to be heard and their hearts to grow.

Guy Rochon
Environment Canada, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Scholarship Donor

Shift in Perspective

The Shambhala conference was a unique experience for me. The module has affected my perception of systems in organizations, and my thinking of people, communities, cultures and organizations themselves. I left Shambhala a different person, appreciating more the challenges I got through, and with tools to help me and others surpass many hurdles and misfortunes met everyday.

Ndekezi Maarifa Vincent, Kigali, Rwanda
Young Leaders Scholarship Recipient 2007

Powerful Intergenerational Conversations

What future is possible when multiple generations come together to share perspectives, build collaboration, and learn to lead together? Following the thread of this question has encouraged me to become a donor to the Shambhala Institute's scholarship fund.

I've attended many Shambhala programs and directly experienced the powerful conversations born from the intergenerational diversity that is enabled by the Institute's transformative program design and commitment to scholarship funding.

It has been a privilege to attend these programs where emerging leaders from around the globe are called to participate. I have learned, been inspired, and shifted my action as a result of my conversations with these young people—most of whom have required financial assistance to make their participation possible.

I believe I need to contribute where and how I can to supporting organizational and social change through intergenerational leadership, and hope that my donation will make a difference in how a young person can develop as a leader. I spend many hours imagining the possibilities for the future!

Mary Stacey
Managing Director, Context Management Consulting
Toronto, Canada

Watershed Experience

My experience at the Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership in many ways marks a watershed in my thinking. It was lovely to meet people whom I admire and feel a connection of mentorship with as well as those in earlier stages of leadership development similar to myself. The most provocative thing that I took away from the week was learning how to sit with questions and how to make friends with ambiguity and uncertainty.

Gabrielle Donnelly, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Young Leaders Scholarship Recipient 2007

Keep the Flames of the Future Alive

It was at the 2007 Shambhala Institute that I realized how much I enjoyed the intergenerational aspect of the participants at the institute and in all of my sessions. At first I was just pleased to think how glorious it was for us, the participants, to have the privilege of hearing from and engaging with the younger adults and youth. Their wisdom seemed well beyond their years, their vision of hope for the future and their wanting to make a difference for all people was something I viewed with great nostalgia.

Starting out as young leader myself (by the age of 26 I had already created an organization and taken on a local, state, and national leadership role) I realize how important conversations and mentorship can be — going both ways. I wanted to give back to all those mentors who encouraged me to explore, search out, and find the ideas and conversations that would spark my desire of hope.

Giving to the scholarship fund is a way for me to keep the flames of the future alive — in me — and a way to offer the oxygen to young leaders who are beginning to set their vision and ignite the future.

Laura Weisel, Ph.D.,
Clinical Service, The TLP Group
Columbus OH, USA
Scholarship Donor